TLDR;
This psychological horror story, inspired by the Lizzie Borden case, follows Tara as she grapples with a potential family curse, dark secrets, and a haunting presence. The film explores themes of mental illness, possession, and the blurred lines between reality and the supernatural.
- Tara experiences terrifying nightmares and hallucinations, leading her to fear she might harm her family.
- A series of brutal murders occur, with suspicion falling on Tara due to her connections to the victims and a possible family history of mental illness.
- The truth about Tara's aunt Diane and her own mother, Emily, is revealed, exposing a history of violence and a potential possession by the spirit of Lizzie Borden.
Intro [0:00]
The movie begins with a woman in a white gown sharpening an axe in a desolate location, setting a tone of unease. The scene then shifts to Gina, who is murdered while on her morning run by the same woman. The story introduces Tara, a teenage hockey player with dreams of attending Stanford, who experiences a disturbing nightmare involving harming her baby brother.
Tara's Troubled Life [1:13]
Tara's life is complicated by a nightmare where she harms her baby brother, mirroring the crying she hears when she gets home. Meanwhile, the investigation into Gina's murder reveals that Gina's husband was sending inappropriate messages to Tara, making her a person of interest. At home, a casual remark about Tara being locked in a closet as a child and a tense discussion about Aunt Diane hint at deeper family issues. Tara expresses her passion for fashion design, but her future plans are questioned by her father, and she experiences unsettling events, such as a shadowy figure near her window and someone entering her room.
Family Curse and Mental Illness [4:21]
Tara confronts her parents about someone entering her room and stealing her belongings, but they deny it. Her mother, Emily, suggests that Tara's nightmares might be a sign of mental illness or a family curse, referencing Aunt Diane's struggles. Tara researches the family curse online, finding articles about bipolar disorder and a rare mental illness that causes the person's eyes to turn black during episodes. She is then startled awake by Lizzy, the woman in white, who hands her an axe and challenges her to kill her brother. Tara injures herself and overhears her parents arguing about therapy, leading her to seek professional help.
Therapy and Police Investigation [6:17]
Tara learns from her therapist that her aunt Diane drowned her baby at 16 and that she might be showing early signs of the same disorder. The therapist suggests therapy and medication, but Tara refuses to believe it. As she leaves, Lizzy whispers in her ear, "Your aunt Dianne wasn't afraid." Two officers arrive to question Tara about Gina's murder, focusing on her babysitting job and a disturbing encounter with a gym acquaintance named Miky. Meanwhile, Karen is murdered after taking a shortcut through the woods.
Confessions and Dark Secrets [7:45]
Tara confesses to Susie that she fears she might hurt her family, revealing her terrifying dream about killing her baby brother, Jack. Emily overhears the conversation through the baby monitor, growing increasingly worried. When Jack falls sick, Emily insists Tara visit Diane, leading to a confrontation about Diane's past. The police return to investigate Karen's murder, with suspicion again falling on Tara.
Visit to Aunt Diane [9:21]
Tara and Susie visit Aunt Diane at a psychiatric hospital. Diane recognizes something disturbing in Tara, linking it to a dark spirit named Lizzy that has haunted the women in their family. Diane claims she killed her baby with an axe during a blackout and warns Tara that the same evil resides within her. Terrified, Tara runs out and tells Susie everything.
Confrontations and Discoveries [10:51]
Tara confronts her mother about lying about Diane killing her child with an axe. That night, Tara's dad encounters a horrifying figure in front of his car. Tara asks her mom if she too has seen hallucinations of Lizzy, but Emily denies it, claiming she lied to comfort Diane. Tara researches the Borden family murders and decides to visit Lizzie's old house, now a museum where seances are performed.
Lizzie Borden House [12:24]
Tara and her boyfriend, Carl, spend the night at Lizzie Borden's house. During a seance, Tara hears Lizzie's voice, becomes possessed, and experiences visions of her stepmother. She grabs an axe and collapses, overwhelmed by horrifying visions. Carl rushes her out of the museum.
Murders and Missing Persons [13:34]
Susie goes to Tara's house to collect clothes and discovers blood on one of the garments. She is attacked with an axe and her body is stuffed into a trunk. The police discover Gina and Miky's bodies. Tara returns home to find Susie's car but no Susie. She hears Susie's ringtone coming from the basement and realizes her brother Jack is missing.
The Truth Revealed [14:37]
Tara finds her cousin Caleb hiding in the attic with Jack, revealing that Susie's body is in the basement trunk. Tara and Carl search for her mom and are attacked by a woman. Tara finds Aunt Diane's lifeless body and her mother, Emily, dressed in a white gown, revealing that she is possessed. Emily confesses to killing Diane's baby because it was illegitimate and declares she will kill Caleb and Jack.
Confrontation and Aftermath [16:48]
Tara drops the axe and asks her mother to kill her instead. Emily's eyes glaze over with visions of Lizz's spirit, and she becomes fully possessed. The police storm in and shoot Emily, who is rushed to the hospital. Tara's father promises to protect her from the curse. Tara takes responsibility for her family and takes medication to prevent becoming like her mother or aunt. The movie ends with Caleb encountering Lizz's spirit in the car.
Explanation of Events [17:56]
The story is based on the real Lizzie Borden, who killed her father and stepmother. The film suggests Tara's family is haunted by the same curse, blending possession with mental illness. Lizz's spirit possesses Emily, driving her to commit the murders. Emily killed Diane's child because she believed their father had an affair with Diane. Male was killed for his obsessive behavior toward Tara, Susie was silenced after discovering the bloodstained clothes, and Karen was killed for bullying Tara.
